Elevator



G. M. WILLIAMS.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, I920.

FIG.\

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IN EN'TOR %4'72 )7]. gym

ATTORNE G. M. WILLIAMS.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IIPII.2. I920.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

FIG. 5

INVENTOR m FIGLEJI EM rad;

ATTORNEY;

PATET Ql FlQE.

GEORGE M. \VILLIAMS, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

ELEVATOR.

Application filed April 2, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon M. VVrLLrAMs, citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an elevator.

One object of the invention is to provide an elevator for buildings which is particularly adapted for carrying passengers and which is equipped with means for locking the entrance doors of the elevator shaft while the elevator is traveling between the floors. said locking means being released automatically to permit the doors to open when the elevator reaches the floors where passenger are to be taken on or discharged.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elevator equipped with means for locking the ele ator car against movement while the door is open, said locking means being released only after the door is closed. The elevator herein described is partmularly designed for the purpose of preventing accidents in the operation of the cars due to leaving the doors of the elevator shaft open while the elevator car is n motion, and while specially designed for use 1n carrying passengers it is also adapted for use as a freight elevator.

With the above and other objects in v1ew, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification-and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, Figure 1 shows a fragmentary, vertical, sectional, view of the device.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged fragmentary, horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2, 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged fragmentary, vertical, sectional view,

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged transverse sectional view of the means for locking the car against movement,

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged fragmentary, vertical. sectional View of another form of device, and,

F ig. 6 shows an enlarged fragmentary, horizontal, sectional view taken on the line 6, 6 of Fig. 5.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1320.

Serial no. 370,771.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numerals 1, 1 refer to the side walls of an elevator shaft, the numerals 2, 2, designate the floors of the building and the numeral 3 refers to the front wall of the shaft. The numeral 4i designates an elevator car of conventional form which moves up and down in the building. The shaft has door openings as 5 at each floor of the building arranged to be opened and closed by means of a sliding door 6 and the elevator car has an entrance and exit opening '7 whichcomes into alinement with the openings 5 of the shaft as the car travels. The upper end of each door has hangers 8 wherein pulleys 9 are rotatably mounted, said pulleys being designed to travel along the track 10 as the doors are opened and closed. A roller 11 is mounted at one side of the car 4 near the bottom thereof and projects out in front of the car. This roller is preferably mounted on a yieldable or resilient seat 11 and travels along a flexible track 12 which extends from top to bottom of the shaft and is secured to the front wall of said shaft on the inside. Just above each floor there is a plunger 13, whose outer end is fastened to the inside ofthe track 12 and which extends through a bearing in the bearing plate 1 1, secured to and projecting out from the corresponding tloor, and interposed between said track 12 and said bearing plate 14 and surrounding said plunger there is a coil spring 15 which operates to hold the flexible track 12 out from the front wall of the shaft. The plunger has a lateral projecting hook 16 which normally protrudes through an alined opening 1? of the flange 18 carried by the adjacent side of the door and said hook is held in engagement with said flange by the pressure of said spring 15 and the door 6 is thereby locked in closed position while the car is between the floors. As the car moves upwardly the roller 11 depresses the track 12 and thereby forces the plunger, at the floor the car is approachin outwardly and when the car reaches said floor, said plunger will be fully depressed, thus disengaging the hook 16 from the opening 17 of the flange 18 thereby unlocking the door and permitting the same to be moved into open position.

The inner edge of the door at the bottom is beveled as at 19 and when said door is opened, said beveled portion engages in front of a roller 20 which is carried by the outer end of the plunger 21. This plunger is mounted in a suitable bearing 22 which is fastened to the-floor and when the roller 20 is forced backwardly by the door in opening the same the inner end of said plunger is forced into a vertical slot 23 formed in the front side of the car at the bottom and the car is thereby locked against movement until the door is again closed. This slot is of considerable lengt preferably about six inches in length, so that the floor of the car may be slightly above or below the floor of the building and the plunger 21 still engage therein. then said door is closed the plunger is withdrawn from said slot by means of a flat push spring as which is disposed to operate thereagainst and the elea-tor car is thereby released and is free to move up or down in the shaft to the next floor.

It is thus obvious that the elevator car is automatically locked against movement while the door is open and is not released until said door is fully closed. it is further obvious that tl e door oi. he shaft will be kept locked in closed position until the car has reached the floor and is in position to take on or discharge passengers at which point said door will be automatically run locked to permit the opening; of the same.

The track 12 shown in Fig. 5 is held in vertical alinement by suitable ti-shaped bearings which are secured to the wall of the shaft and which are spaced apart therealong and embrace said track and hold it in its proper position.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described in cluding an elevator shaft, having vertically alined door openings, an elevator car movable in the shaft, doors provided to open and close said openings, means for locking said doors closed, means actuated by the car for releasing the locking means of a door when the car is opposite the door opening and means actuated by the door, when opened, for locking the car against movement while said door is open.

2. A device of the character described including; an elevator shaft having a door opening, a door adapted to open and close said opening, an elevator car adapted to travel in said shalt, a locking device normally securing the door in closed position and including a yieldably mounted member normally in engagement with the door, means carried b the car and arranged to actuate said member to release it from the door when the car moves into position opiosi the door, and a device actuated by the door when opened adapted to lock the car against movement, said. device automatically releasin the car when the door is closed. i

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

GEUBGE M. WILLIAMS. l Vitnesses:

B. L. PALMER, C. N. PALMER. 

